How To Write Travel Articles For Fun and Profit

So, do you think you have what it takes to write a travel article? I can see people shaking their heads right now, especially those who don’t travel, right? WRONG!

I’ll tell you a secret if you promise not to tell anyone who reads those travel magazines: many of the authors of those travel articles have never been to the places that they write about. I know…I know…shocking, right?

No, not shocking…just great writing! If an article writer is so good that they can make you believe they have spent time at faraway places even though they have never left their home, then that is one good article writer.

If you have read me at all in the past then you have read my articles on niche writing and the Ten Second Rule. Allow me to give you a brief summary of both.

Niche writing, in my humble opinion, is crucial in this highly-competitive world of writing. Find a niche and then become an expert in that niche. In the case of travel articles, obviously many people write these, but how many have found an interesting sub-category? We’ll call it a specialty niche. If you can find that, and this article has suggestions, then you are on the road to being published in a travel magazine.

The second point is the Ten Second Rule, which states that you have about ten seconds to gain the attention of your reader and then you will lose them if they do not find something interesting in your article in that time span. Ten seconds! You need a hook! You need to find a way to make that first ten seconds so interesting that your readers can’t wait to see what follows. That is what this article is all about, ten hooks that will make your travel article jump off the page and attack the readers.

Are you ready to rock-n-roll? Let’s do it!

WEEKEND GETAWAYS

One interesting travel niche you might try is short vacations within a couple hours of a city. Highlight relaxing activities or novelty locations, and you could do this for every major city in the world. Call it “The Weekend Getaway Series,” like Weekend Getaways in New York City, or Weekend Getaways in Topeka, Kansas. That way not only would they appeal to editors of national magazines but also to editors of local magazines as well.

FAMILY TRAVEL

What to do on the next family vacation? This niche should focus as much on the children as the adults, and you could highlight amusement parks, local fairs, parks, etc. Call it Great Family Travel Vacations. Again, you could make a sub-niche, like Great Family Travel Vacations In Los Angeles, or Great Family Travel Vacations In London.

CULINARY TRAVEL

Vacationers love to eat, so why not do a series of articles on local cuisine? You could talk about what the locals eat, give a history of the food, talk about the farmer’s markets in an area and recommend some restaurants to visit. Again, you could do this for every major city in the world without ever leaving your writing studio.

TRAVEL MEMOIR

This is my favorite niche when writing about travel. Through my personal experience I write a memoir about a favorite place of mine. I wrote an article about Mt. Rainier in Washington State called “My Love Affair With Mt. Rainier, and it was extremely well-received. Without ever mentioning a particular activity, I managed to make Mt. Rainier sound like the dream location that it is, and people responded.

Where have you visited in the past that left you with fond memories? Make those fond memories into an article and sell it with a flourish.

DESTINATION GUIDES

This is the most common travel article. In these you point out the interesting places to see in a particular city or region. Think travel guidebook and you will be right on with this niche. Now, to put your own personal stamp on it, try to find places that are not covered by the many articles out there. Look for the unusual…in fact, that could be your niche. “Unusual Sites To See in Manilla.”

SPECIAL INTEREST TRAVEL GUIDES

Here is the ultimate special niche travel guide. Great places to see for rock hunters. Great places to see for quilt collectors, or great fishing spots in the Rockies. Yes, you are limiting the number of readers by doing this, but you are also cornering the market in one particular area of writing. If there are 50,000 readers interested in great hamburger joints, and you have the only article written about them, then you have a very useful article on your hands.

OUTDOOR ADVENTURE

There are literally millions out there who are looking for great sites to visit that offer outdoor recreation suggestions. Whether it be fishing, hunting or white-water rafting, there are people who want to know about it.

Pick one aspect of outdoor activities and then become an expert on it. Great flyfishing sites in Sweden…great flyfishing spots in Turkey. Pick a niche and then pound it for all it is worth.

SPECIAL BEST OF ARTICLES

We are seeing more and more of these articles, but that should not discourage you. Ten Great Museums in Fort Worth, Texas. Five Great Restaurants in Buffalo, New York. Again, you are narrowing your readership, but if you consider how many people live in Buffalo you still have a large readership.

ROMANTIC GETAWAYS

This is a bit different from the weekend getaways. This one will concentrate solely on romance. Where would you like to take your lover for a special weekend? What appeals to you when you are thinking of romance? Once you have answered those questions then start researching similar activities and places in other cities.

SPECIAL HOLIDAY TRAVEL SITES

Concentrate on special holidays and then use the holiday to write about different locales. Great Christmas Activities in Denver. Great 4^th of July Activities in Philadelphia. There are so many holidays and so many cities and regions to write about. Again, the special niche is the key. Once you have your niche then you can become the only writer concentrating on it. Build your expertise and the readers will come.

You would be amazed by the number of travel writers who do not travel. Why should they? The internet provides all the information they need without ever leaving home. What is required is determination and the ability to use words to portray expertise. Tell yourself you are a travel writer and you will become a travel writer. Let your readers take the trips while you take the payments from regional and local magazines.

Before I forget, pick up a copy of the Writer's Market. In it you will find a complete listing of U.S. magazines and their submission guidelines.

Hopefully these ideas will be enough to set you on the road to a lucrative career as a travel writer. Remember that you control your future as a writer. Open up your imagination and soar as you were meant to do.

2013 William D. Holland (aka billybuc)